Shattered - Chapter One
by Homeostasis
Summary: This story takes place on the worn torn planet of Rubi-ka and chronicles the journey of three individuals, The Client, The Doctor, and The Mercenary.


Her eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to spill over. Her heart ached and pounded in her chest. She struggled to slow her breathing. _How could this have happened?_ Echoed over and over in her mind. A small gasp of despair escaped her lips.

Fighting desperately to regain control she closed her eyes and focused solely upon her breathing. Slow, deep breaths were her only thought. The rapid rise and fall of her chest began to slow; the pain began to ebb; her thoughts cleared.

She reopened her eyes and looked upon the face she once thought she'd known and saw him for what he truly was. She was surprised she was still alive, for this knowledge would surely cost her life.

"Why?" She whispered with defeat.

"What the fuck does it matter?" He barked back.

Her amber eyes locked upon his ebony ones. Forgetting her anguish, she straightened up and squared her shoulders. Her small hand moved from where she'd unknowingly had it clutched between her breasts and boldly jabbed a finger toward his face.

"It matters to me, you son of a heckler!" She said with a force that surprised them both.

His eyes widened momentarily, then a slow malicious grin began to spread upon his face. Snarling, he swiftly advanced upon her, striking her to the ground. She thwarted the next blow by grabbing his incoming fist and pulling him toward her.

Caught off balance, he began falling forward, where she used his own momentum to throw him over her.

As he flew overhead, she watched his vain attempt to brace himself for the inevitable impact. She delighted in hearing the harsh grunt of exhaled air forced from his lungs as he slammed into the ground. Before he could gasp for his next breath, she'd scrambled on top of him placing him in a choke hold. Then she quickly unsheathed her hidden knife advancing it firmly between his fourth and fifth ribs until she drew blood.

Looking at her with new found respect, he gasped, "My, you are full of surprises."

She advanced the knife further, and added more pressure across his neck.

"Tell me why!" She demanded with vehemence.

She let up only enough pressure across his neck so he could answer. The knife she deftly twisted.

He glared at her with pure hatred.

"You do know you can't kill me, so what's the point of this?"

She twisted the knife in more.

"Yesss," she hissed. "I know I can't kill you and that you'll just respawn where you last used the insurance terminal. However, it will give me enough time to get away and it will give me some satisfaction that I sent you there."

He felt the light weight of her across his body and thought that if not for the pain being inflicted this would have been most arousing. As it was, he found he couldn't help but respond to her. He was a solitus after all.

She looked at him incredulously as she felt his arousal.

"You've got to be kidding me." She said with disgust.

"What can I say, I find this situation most ...stimulating."

She watched his eyes cross and then close as she plunged her knee into his groin.

When his eyes again opened, the hatred had returned.

"You know I will kill you, and unlike me, you lack the security of the insurance terminal."

"I know you will be relentless in pursuing me and that my death will be slow and painful. That's the price I am willing to pay for this one moment of besting you. Now enough of this banter! Tell me why you have betrayed us."

"You do know I have always loved you. No matter what you may think of me, know this." He said with obvious mocked earnest.

Her reptilian pupils narrowed to hard slits.

"Do you take me for such a fool?" She growled.

"Well it was worth a try." He chuckled. "I could never love a nanomage, such vile creatures. Plus, you reek of notum and I'm sick to death of goddamn notum."

She raised an eyebrow and twisted the knife in further.

"Fine. I'll tell you," he rasped. "You yourself have said that we have lost our way. That no one remembers what we are fighting for. That we have become the very monsters of oppression we've been fighting against for so long. Naturally, I began to question the point of continued fighting when no one really gives a shit. Why not use the conflict to better one's position on this godforsaken hell hole?"

He looked at her and seeing he was not going to get a response continued on.

"It's so easy really. You all are so damn naïve. So, I throw a battle and let them win. What's the big deal anyway? A few of our reverend leaders get wiped out along the way. So fucken what! Those puritans needed to go anyway. As you can see they're not missed. Our people have such short memories it's child's play to manipulate them. Damn mindless leets is what they are. Don't look at me like that!" He snarled, then continued on with zealous relish. "You know I speak the truth! Your blind loyalty to a history that's no longer relevant was your down fall. You mistakenly thought that since you've been involved with the war from its conception that you'd have loyalty and respect. You are a goddamned fool!" He spat. "There is no loyalty, nor respect in war."

She'd thought he'd said all he had to say, when he began again with a distant quality to his voice.

"I almost pity you. This revelation must have shattered you. Ha! You should be thanking me for enlightening you." He looked at her with delighted amusement before continuing.

"I have waited so long to take you down; to shatter your naïvety. My only regret is that you have, this time, denied me the pleasure of completely defiling you before slowly killing you. I do look forward to that and I won't be denied the next time we meet."

Momentarily taking her off guard, he arched his back and almost toppled her off him. Instinctively, she plunged the knife deep inside him, piercing his heart. They locked eyes briefly, and as blood began to froth from his mouth he gurgled, "I will never stop looking for you." Then his body spasmed and he disappeared from beneath her.

With no time to waste, she snatched her medical gear off the nearby table and transported immediately into the grid heading for the Stret East Bank exit. Upon exiting she punched in well known coordinates and set her yalm on autopilot. She would use the brief time before she reached her destination to gather her thoughts and devise a plan. She didn't have the resources he did, and she knew he'd be relentless in his pursuit. She also knew he'd spread lies to tarnish her reputation and felt something die within her as the understanding of how easily that would occur flooded her person. She was now an outcast to the very lifestyle she'd fought so hard to protect; to the same people she'd once called her family. Worse, was the realization that what she'd once believed whole-heartedly and nearly gave her life for, never really existed. It all had been a lie, and she had been the fool - A mere pawn. The last of her naiveté was shattered, leaving in its wake a cold, hollowed nothingness.


End file.
